Bulletin 


Entered  at  the  Post  Office  at  Orono  as  second-class  matter 


Vol.  VII  University  of  Maine,  Orono,  October,  1904  No.  2 


University  of  Maine 


College 


of  Agriculture 


Horticulture  at  tlie 
University  of  Maine 


“ I praise  New  England  because  it  is  the  country  in  the  world  where  is 
the  freest  expenditure  for  education******The  poor  man  whom  the  law  does 
not  allow  to  take  an  ear  of  corn  when  starving,  nor  a pair  of  shoes  for  his 
freezing  feet,  is  allowed  to  put  his  hand  into  the  pocket  of  the  rich,  and  say  : 
‘ You  shall  educate  me,  not  as  you  will  but  as  I will  ; not  alone  in  the  ele- 
ments, but,  by  further  provision,  in  the  languages,  in  sciences,  in  the  useful 
and  in  the  elegant  arts.’  The  child  shall  be  taken  up  by  the  State,  and  taught 
at  the  public  cost,  the  rudiments  of  knowledge,  and,  at  last,  the  ripest  results 
of  art  and  science.” — Ralph  Waldo  Emerson. 


TUITION  FREE 


Horticultural  Buildings,  University  of  Maine. 


HORTICULTURE  AT  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  MAINE 


By  W.  M.  Munson 

The  College  of  Agriculture  of  the  University  of  Maine  is  a 
group  of  departments  whose  aim  it  is  to  further  the  cause  of 
agricultural  education  in  the  State.  It  comprises  the  depart- 
ments of  Agriculture,  Horticulture,  Animal  Industry,  and 
special  parts  of  the  courses  in  Biology,  Chemistry,  and  other 
related  subjects. 

Agriculture  (Agronomy,  or  Crops  and  Crop  Production) 
includes  the  study  of  subjects  pertaining  directly  to  farm  crops 
and  farm  management.  Horticulture  deals  with  fruit,  vegeta- 
ble, and  ornamental  gardening,  and  the  study  of  plant  breeding. 
Animal  Industry  includes  the  work  with  domestic  animals, 
dairying  and  poultry  raising. 

The  purpose  of  the  present  bulletin  is  to  give,  somewhat  in 
detail,  the  work  of 

The  Department  of  Horticulture 

The  Horticultural  Department  was  established  in  January, 
1891.  From  the  first,  the  work  of  the  department  has  been 
two-fold,  — the  work  of  instruction  and  that  of  investiga- 
tion. These  two  lines  are  coordinate  and  supplementary. 
There  is,  perhaps,  no  branch  of  scientific  or  of  practical  work 
in  which  investigation  and  instruction  may  so  well  be  combined, 
or  are,  in  a measure,  so  interdependent. 

The  science  of  horticulture  is  in  its  infancy,  though  the  prac- 
tice is  as  old  as  the  world  itself,  and  he  who  would  be  a success- 
ful teacher  must  be,  as  well,  an  enthusiastic  searcher  after  new 
truths.  The  most  successful  fruit-growers,  gardeners,  and 
florists  are  those  who  are  ever  on  the  lookout  for  lessons  from 
the  book  of  Nature,  rather  than  those  who  depend  upon  books 
alone  ; those  who  investigate,  prove,  and  disprove,  rather  than 
those  who  accept  the  dogmas  of  others. 


4 


Equipment  of  the  Department 
The  equipment  of  this  department  comprises  about  fifteen 
acres  of  land  devoted  to  orchards,  gardens,  small  fruits,  and 
nurseries,  besides  the  University  campus  of  about  thirty  acres, 
which  is  under  the  direction  of  the  professor  of  horticulture, 
and  which  is  used  for  practical  instruction  in  landscnpe  garden- 
ing. There  are  also  four  greenhouses,  covering  about  4000 
square  feet  of  surface,  where  the  practical  operations  of  growing 
flowers  and  vegetables  under  glass  may  be  observed,  and  where 
material  for  use  in  the  classroom  is  provided.  These  houses 
are  also  used  for  experimental  studies  in  plant  nutrition,  polli- 
nation, soils,  etc.  The  houses  are  heated  by  two  modern  hot- 
water  heaters  of  different  pattern,  and  the  principles  of  green- 
house construction,  heating,  and  ventilation  are  well  illustrated. 
In  the  building  adjoining  the  greenhouses,  are  the  offices  of  the 
professor  of  horticulture  and  his  assistant,  a photographic 
studio,  and  a valuable  herbarium  of  economic  plants. 

Horticultural  Investigations 
Some  ot  the  work  of  investigation  has  been  detailed  from 
time  to  time  in  publications  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment 
Station.  The  following  list  of  bulletins  and  reports  which 
have  been  issued  from  this  department  will  indicate  the  scope 
of  the  work  : 


BULLETINS 


* 

No. 

6. 

Fruit  Culture — Varieties. 

a 

8. 

Spraying  Experiments  for  Apple  Scab. 

# 

( t 

9- 

Tomatoes. 

a 

10. 

Cauliflowers. 

* 

it 

12. 

Potatoes,  French  System  vs.  Level  Culture. 

ft 

21 . 

Notes  on  Small  Fruits — Strawberries. 

ft 

29. 

Notes  on  Spraying. 

a 

40. 

Celery. 

* 

ft 

42. 

Ornamenting  Home  Grounds. 

it 

46. 

Ornamental  Plants  for  Maine. 

ft 

49. 

Care  of  Orchards. 

it 

52. 

The  Spraying  of  Plants. 

a 

56. 

Apple  Insects  of  Maine. 

ft 

76. 

The  Blueberry. 

it 

82. 

Orchard  Notes. 

a 

89. 

Experiments  in  Orchard  Culture. 

it 

95- 

Dandelion,  Hawkweed,  Ginseng,  Canker  Worms. 

Out  of  print 

5 

REPORTS. 

* Annual  Report  of  the  Experiment  Station,  1891. 

Experiments  with  Cabbages,  Tomatoes,  Egg  Plants,  Ex- 
periments in  Spraying ; The  Secondary  Effect  of  Pollina- 
tion (Fertilization  of  Flowers). 

* Annual  Report  for  1892. 

Experiments  with  Cabbages,  Tomatoes,  Egg  Plants,  Pota- 
toes ; Spraying  Experiments. 

Annual  Report  for  1893. 

Experiments  with  Cauliflower,  Tomatoes,  Egg  Plants, 
Potatoes ; Spraying  Experiments ; A Catalog  of  Maine 
Fruits. 

Annual  Report  for  1894. 

Experiments  with  Tomatoes,  Potatoes,  Small  Fruits ; 
Notes  on  Plant  Breeding. 

Annual  Report  for  1896. 

The  Station  Orchards  ; Winter  Gardening. 

Annual  Report  for  1897. 

Ornamenting  Home  Grounds  ; The  Acquisition  of  Atmos- 
pheric Nitrogen  by  Plants, 
t Annual  Report  for  1898. 

The  use  of  Large  vs.  Small  Radish  Seed  ; The  Effect  of 
Sub-Watering  Radishes  ; The  Blueberry  in  Maine  ; The 
Acquisition  of  Atmospheric  Nitrogen,  — Soil  Inoculation  ; 
Pollination  and  Fertilization  of  Flowers. 

The  earlier  bulletins,  most  of  which  are  now  exhausted,  are 
mostly  brief  summaries  of  the  work  which  is  detailed  in  the 
annual  reports.  As  far  as  they  are  available,  these  publica- 
tions are  sent  free  to  those  who  make  application  for  them. 

The  work  of  investigation  at  present  under  way  includes 
studies  in  orchard  culture  ; fertilizers  for  orchards  ; top-grafting 
apple  trees  ; the  spraying  of  orchards  ; studies  in  germination  ; 
studies  in  heredity ; problems  in  greenhouse  management ; 
studies  of  the  blueberry. 

Horticultural  Instruction 
Horticultural  instruction  is  given  in  a four  years’  collegiate 
course  in  horticulture,  leading  to  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 


♦Out  of  print 

t Since  1898  annual  reports  consist  of  reprints  of  bulletins. 


6 


Science  ; in  the  regular  agricultural  course ; in  a special  course 
of  two  years  ; in  the  School  Course  in  Agriculture  ; in  the  short 
winter  courses  ; and  in  the  extension  work  of  lectures  and 
correspondence. 


A Lesson  in  Pruning. 

The  four  years’  course  is  designed  primarily  for  those  who 
wish  to  make  some  branch  of  horticulture  a specialty,  either  as 
teachers,  experiment  station  workers,  fruit  growers,  or  garden- 
ers. All  of  the  practical  horticultural  instruction  given  at  the 
University  may  be  obtained  without  taking  the  college  course, 
but  it  is  believed  that  the  general  training  afforded  by  the  full 
four  years’  course  will  prove  of  inestimable  value  in  after  life. 
In  arranging  this  course  a wide  freedom  of  election  has  been 
allowed,  but  there  are  certain  fundamental  and  so-called  “culture 
studies”  which  must  be  taken.  As  far  as  possible  the  funda- 
mental studies  and  the  mathematics  are  taken  during  the  first 
two  years,  so  that  students  are  fully  prepared  to  get  the  most 
possible  benefit  from  the  technical  courses. 


7 


The  following  schedule  of  studies  will  give  an  idea  as  to  the 
nature  of  this  course  : 

FIRST  YEAR 

SPRUNG  TERM 

General  Botany 
English 
T rigonometry 
Solid  Geometry 
Chemistry 
Military  Drill 

SECOND  YEAR 

English 
Physiology 
French  or  German 
Chemistry 
Horticulture 

THIRD  YEAR 

Horticulture 
Entomology 
German  or  French 

ours  a Elective  work,  9 to  12  hours  a 
week. 

FOURTH  YEAR 

Horticulture  Horticulture 

Elective  work,  10  to  15  hours  a Elective  work,  9 to  14  hours  a 
week.  week. 

The  instruction  in  horticulture  is  given  in  nine  courses,  cov- 
ering a period  of  two  and  one-half  years,  but  many  of  those 
courses  are  based  upon  the  principles  studied  in  other  depart- 
ments. The  following  are  the  salient  features  of  the  dis- 
tinctively horticultural  work  : General  Horticulture,  designed 
as  a basis  for  all  study  of  plants  under  cultivation  ; Fruit  Grow- 
ing ; General  and  Ornamental  Gardening  ; Handicraft,  practical 
work  in  orchards,  gardens  and  greenhouses,  accompanying 
classroom  instruction ; Systematic  Pomology  ; Literature  of 
Horticulture  ; Evolution  of  Cultivated  Plants  ; Horticultural 
Investigations,  for  those  wishing  to  become  teachers  or  experi- 
ment station  workers  in  horticulture.  A detailed  description 
of  the  courses  is  given  in  the  catalog  of  the  University. 


English 

Cryptogamic  Botany 
French  or  German 
Chemistry 
General  Physics 

Horticulture 
Biological  Chemistry 
German  or  French 
Elective  work,  8 to  12 
week. 


faeu  term 

Biology 

English 

Drawing 

Algebra 

Chemistry 

Military  Drill 


8 


The  two-year  courses  are  not  differentiated  from  the  regular 
college  courses,  but  those  who  are  fitted  to  take  the  professional 
work  with  profit  are  admitted  to  the  classes  with  the  regular 
students,  and  the  professor  of  horticulture  outlines  an  elective 
course  to  suit  the  needs  of  individual  students. 

In  the  School  Course  in  Agriculture,  which  was  fully  outlined 
in  the  Maine  Bulletin  last  year,  one  year’s  instruction  in  the 
principles  of  plant  culture,  in  fruit  growing,  and  in  general 
gardening  is  given.  This  work  is  intensely  practical,  and  is  not 
of  college  grade,  but  the  subjects  are  presented  in  the  most 
helpful  manner,  for  young  men  and  women  who  are  to  make 
farming  their  life  work. 

Correspondence  upon  topics  related  to  fruit  growing  and 
general  gardening  forms  an  important  feature  of  the  horti- 
cultural work,  both  in  college  and  station  lines,  and  every  effort 
is  made  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  needs  of  the  farmers  of 
Maine. 


Horticulture  as  a Business 

In  any  line  of  work  the  highest  success  comes  only  to  the 
man  who  has  his  heart  in  his  work.  This  is  doubly  true  of  the 
horticulturist,  and  unless  he  loves  his  plants  in  orchard  or  gar- 
den or  greenhouse,  gives  them  personal  care  and  thought,  and 
notices  their  individuality  and  various  requirements,  he  can  not 
hope  to  rise  above  mediocrity.  Plants  are  extremely  sensitive 
and  respond  with  a liberal  reward  to  the  attentions  of  a careful 
grower,  but  they  are  quick  to  resent  ill-treatment  or  neglect. 

If  a man  has  a love  for  the  business,  there  is  no  branch  of 
agricultural  work  in  New  England  which  offers  greater  promise 
of  reward  at  the  present  day  than  does  fruit  growing.  But  as 
ordinarily  conducted,  as  a side  issue  in  connection  with  general 
farming,  the  average  orchard  of  the  state  is  not  very  promising. 
Nevertheless,  there  is  no  feature  of  the  farm  which,  with  so 
little  attention,  gives  such  large  returns.  The  average  farmer, 
who  complains  of  the  low  price  of  fruit  when  it  brings  $1.00 
per  barrel,  expends  perhaps  ten  to  fifteen  cents  per  barrel 
for  harvesting  the  fruit,  thirty  cents  for  the  barrel,  and  ten 
cents  for  hauling  to  market  ; leaving  a net  return  of  forty-five 
to  fifty  cents  per  barrel  for  fruit  which  has  cost  him  practically 
nothing.  This  is  not  a large  return,  but  it  is  larger  than  any 
other  factor  of  the  farm,  with  the  same  lack  of  attention,  could 


9 


possibly  return.  It  frequently  amounts  to  $30  to  $50  per  acre 
and  sometimes  more.  With  the  same  attention  as  that  given 
a crop  of  grain  or  hay,  the  income,  even  at  the  low  price  men- 
tioned, will  be  far  in  advance  of  that  from  those  crops.  With 
better  attention,  however,  and  with  the  application  of  business 
methods  to  the  harvesting  and  marketing,  a much  larger  price 
for  the  fruit  may  be  demanded  and  received. 

As  a business  venture  a wide  awake  enthusiastic  man  may 
make  a wise  and  safe  investment  in  fruit  lands,  at  $25  to  $40 
per  acre,  with  a certainty  of  securing  liberal  returns  from  his 
investment,  and  with  the  knowledge  that  the  land  is  constantly 
increasing  in  value,  as  the  trees  approach  full  maturity. 

Gardening  and  floriculture  also  offer  inducements  to  the 
active,  energetic,  young  man  in  the  vicinity  of  Maine’s  cities 
and  summer  resorts.  While  returns  are  often  larger  from 
these  pursuits  than  from  fruit  growing,  competition  is  very 
sharp  and  the  risks  of  loss  are  greater.  The  best  of  markets 
are  available,  however,  and  to  one  who  will  throw  himself 
heartily  into  the  work  the  field  is  an  attractive  one.  Flor- 
iculture, especially,  and  also  landscape  gardening,  offer  attrac- 
tive openings  to  young  women  who  have  a love  for  out-door 
life,  or  a special  aptitude  for  the  arrangement  of  plants,  and 
good  taste  in  decorative  work.  Landscape  gardeners  from 
Boston  and  New  York  find  constant  employment  at  our  sum- 
mer resorts,  and  a large  proportion  of  the  cut  flowers  sold  in 
many  of  our  cities  come  from  Boston.  These  openings  should 
be  taken  by  our  own  people. 

All  things  considered,  the  outlook  is  particularly  good  at  the 
present  time  for  efforts  along  horticultural  lines  in  New 
England.  Lands  are  cheap  ; markets  are  good,  and  are  near  at 
hand  ; transportation  facilities  by  means  of  steamboats,  railroads 
and  electric  cars  are  excellent,  and  are  rapidly  being  extended  ; 
the  markets  of  Europe  are  practically  at  our  doors.  The 
chances  of  success  in  any  line  will  be  increased  in  proportion 
as  the  young  man  or  woman  prepares  himself  or  herself  for  the 
occupation  before  undertaking  the  responsibilities. 

There  are  various  ways  of  preparing  for  this  work.  One  is 
by  working  for  successful  gardeners,  florists,  or  fruit  growers, 
and  observing  their  methods.  Another,  and  better  way,  is  by 
taking  a horticultural  course  in  college.  The  college  course,  if 
rightly  used,  is  the  best  possible  preparation.  The  young  man 


10 


is  rounded  out  and  broadened  intellectually  and  is  able  to  apply 
principles  to  his  work  and  acquire  a grasp  of  affairs  which  will 
make  him  a valuable  citizen  instead  of  merely  a successful 
copyist. 

Four  years  seems  a long  time  to  spend  in  preparation 
for  a life  work,  but  if  rightly  used  these  years  may  give  in- 
formation and  training  which  it  would  require  a longer  time  and 
many  reverses  to  secure  from  practical  experience. 

There  is,  however,  an  increasing  call  for  well  equipped  men 
to  take  charge  of  country  estates,  and  to  manage  large  orchards 
and  greenhouse  plants,  at  liberal  salaries.  The  college  grad- 
uate, other  things  being  equal,  is  always  sought  for  such  re- 
sponsible positions  in  preference  to  the  man  who  has  had  only 
practical  experience.  If  a man  is  better  fitted  to  work  for 
another,  as  a result  of  college  training,  he  is  certainly  better 
fitted  to  work  for  himself. 

There  is  also  an  urgent  demand  for  teachers  and  inves- 
tigators of  horticultural  subjects.  The  young  man  who  fits 
himself  for  such  work  is  just  as  surely  serving  the  advancement 
of  agriculture  as  if  he  went  back  to  the  practical  business  of 
raising  potatoes  or  apples  or  cabbages.  The  four  years’  course 
in  Horticulture  at  the  University  of  Maine  is  designed  to  help 
young  men  for  either  practical  or  scientific  work. 

Horticultural  Education 

The  standing  of  any  business  or  profession  depends  upon  the 
character  and  quality  of  the  men  engaged  in  it.  This  being  the 
case,  the  only  way  we  can  hope  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  work 
pertaining  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  encourage  the 
rising  generation  to  look  favorably  toward  that  calling,  is  by 
showing  that  there  is  quite  as  good  an  opportunity  for  the 
exercise  of  the  best  powers  of  thought  and  business  ability  as 
in  any  other  calling  in  life.  Mere  platitudes  regarding  the 
freedom  and  independence  of  the  farmer,  and  the  joy  of  being 
“near  to  Nature’s  heart,”  have  very  little  weight  in  these  days 
of  competition  and  struggle  and  mental  and  social  awakening. 

The  claim  is  often  made  that  the  agricultural  colleges  of  the 
country  educate  boys  away  from  the  farm  ; that  the  farmer  can 
not  profitably  spend  four  years  in  preparing  for  his  work  and 
then  go  back  and  take  up  the  burden  which  his  father  laid 
down  ; that  as  soon  as  the  boys  get  out  of  college  they  will 


II 


take  up  some  other  line  of  work  which  will  insure  them  an  im- 
mediate return  somewhat  larger  than  the  old  farm  will  yield. 
At  first  thought  there  seems  to  be  an  element  of  justice  in  this 
claim.  In  a vast  majority  of  cases  the  farm  boys  who  are 
graduates  of  the  State  colleges  of  the  country  do  follow  some 
other  pursuit  than  that  of  agriculture.  But  is  it  their  college 
education  which  induces  this  change  of  sentiment  or  of  oc- 
cupation ? In  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  boy  has  been  educated 
away  from  the  farm  while  still  under  his  father’s  roof.  He  has 
seen  that  farming  in  the  old  way  is  confining,  is  laborious,  is 
slow  of  returns  and  is  altogether  unsatisfactory.  He  enters 
college  with  the  express  purpose  of  taking  an  engineering 
course  or  a scientific  course  and  thus  fitting  himself  for  some 
other  pursuit.  From  the  very  first  time  he  enters  the  public 
school,  his  education  is  all  away  from  the  farm. 

In  these  days  a farmer  needs  training  and  broadening  and 
developing  quite  as  much  as  does  a lawyer,  a doctor,  or  an 
engineer.  But  this  training  and  broadening  may  be  given  by 
means  of  studies  which  shall  have  a more  direct  bearing  upon 
daily  life  than  is  the  case  with  Greek,  Latin  and  Calculus.  The 
most  successful  man  is  he  who  has  the  ability  to  reach  out  into 
a broader  social  and  intellectual  sphere;  to  think  and  reason 
and  act  with  assurance.  Such  a man  will  succeed  whether  he 
be  on  the  farm,  in  the  schoolroom  or  in  the  counting-house. 

There  is  a large  element  of  uncertainty  in  all  agricultural 
operations.  What  with  changing  weather  conditions,  untimely 
frosts,  varying  soils,  uncertain  germination,  fungous  and 
parasitic  diseases,  injurious  insects,  birds  and  animals,  there 
would  seem  to  be  no  end  to  the  list  of  “unsolved  problems” 
which  the  farmer  must  meet.  To  solve  these  problems  would 
seem  almost  a hopeless  task  for  any  one — especially  for  a 
“theorist”  in  the  class-room. 

What,  then,  is  the  use,  or  the  reason  for  the  existence  of 
agricultural  college  and  experiment  station?  A thorough  study 
of  the  laws  of  nature  as  applied  to  agriculture  will  reduce  the 
uncertainties  to  a minimum,  and  will  raise  the  possibilities  of 
production  to  a maximum.  The  college  brings  to  bear  all  of 
the  sciences  related  to  the  subject.  Botany,  chemistry,  geology, 
entomology,  bacteriology,  and  many  others,  are  all  made  to 
contribute  to  the  practical  solution  of  the  difficulties  to  which 
farmer  and  gardener  and  fruit  grower  are  heir.  There  are 


12 


causes  for  poor  crops  which  may  be  overcome ; there  are  dis- 
eases of  plants  and  animals  which  may  be  prevented  and  cured  ; 
there  are  physical  and  chemical  and  geological  conditions  which 
may  be  met  intelligently  and  successfully  ; there  are  processes 
to  be  discovered  and  taught  that  may  promote  productiveness 
when  applied  to  specific  crops. 

There  has,  heretofore,  in  the  language  of  one  of  the  leading 
educators,  been  “too  little  intellect  and  too  much  luck  in  the 
practical  operations  of  agriculture  and  horticulture.  There  has 
been  too  little  live  investigation  and  too  much  following  in  the 
rut  made  by  others.  The  enhanced  power  to  produce  comes 
from  an  intellect  that  commands  the  elements  and  harnesses 
the  laws  of  nature.  The  power  to  produce  is  in  the  earth  ; the 
power  to  increase  that  production  is  in  man.’’ 

To  aid  men  to  get  out  of  the  rut  followed  by  others,  and  to 
enhance  the  power  to  increase  production,  is  the  mission  of  the 
agricultural  colleges  and  experiment  stations  of  the  present 
day.  Just  how  this  may  best  be  accomplished  is  the  problem 
which  confronts  thoughtful  educators  at  the  present  time.  In 
the  opinion  of  those  who  give  the  matter  careful  attention,  it  is 
not  the  cramming  of  the  mind  with  an  array  of  facts  which  will 
be  most  beneficial.  It  is  the  appreciation  of  cause  and  effect ; 
the  growth  of  mental  power  ; the  ability  to  discriminate.  There 
is  a loud  call  for  “practical”  instruction  from  all  sides.  But 
the  most  practical  instruction  is  that  which  makes  an  all-round 
man.  This  is  an  age  of  specialists,  but  the  specialist  must  have 
something  on  which  to  build 

The  teaching  of  the  practical  only  is  narrowing  in  its  ten- 
dencies. It  makes  men  of  one  idea,  — incapable  of  talking 
intelligently  on  other  subjects.  The  power  of  acquiring 
knowledge  is  of  infinitely  more  value  than  a mere  medley  of 
isolated  facts.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  lull  college  course 
is  superior  to  a short  cut  to  horticultural  knowledge  or,  indeed* 
to  any  other  short  course  of  instruction. 

The  first  question  which  confronts  every  thoughtful  teacher 
of  horticulture  is  : What  shall  be  the  scope  of  the  instruction? 
Shall  the  course  be  restricted  to  the  so-called  practical  prob- 
lems attending  the  propagation  of  fruits  and  vegetables,  or 
shall  it  be  made  to  include  the  wider  field  of  landscape 
gardening,  plant  breeding,  and  the  application  of  the  laws  of 
vegetable  physiology  ? Shall  we  study  the  art  of  raising 


13 

plants,  or  shall  we  consider  the  principles  on  which  the  art  is 
founded  ? 

A course  in  horticulture  which  is  restricted  to  the  mechanical 
operations  of  the  propagation  and  culture  of  plants  is  in- 
complete and  unsatisfactory.  The  student  should  know  some- 
thing of  the  origin,  habits,  and  relationships  of  plants,  also  of 
the  causes  of  variation,  and  the  effects  likely  to  be  produced 
by  the  operations  he  may  perform.  In  other  words,  he  should 
know  something  about  plants  and  their  improvement,  as  well 
as  something  about  their  cultivation,  handling,  and  marketing. 
For  this  reason,  as  well  as  to  train  the  powers  ol  observation,  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  systematic,  structural  and  physiological 
botany  should  be  at  the  foundation  of  every  college  course  in 
horticulture.  A knowledge  of  agricultural  chemistry,  of 
elementary  physics,  and  of  soils,  is  also  essential,  for  reasons 
which  are  apparent,  and  this  work  should  precede  technical 
instruction  in  horticulture.  With  this  fundamental  basis,  the 
practical  details  may  be  very  quickly  acquired. 

Accepting  this  view,  technical  horticultural  instruction  can 
not  well  begin  before  the  third  year  of  the  course,  except  as  a 
general  survey  of  the  field,  with  a discussion  of  the  principles 
of  plant  culture,  may  be  given.  By  this  time  the  student  will 
have  had  sufficient  training  to  understand  the  distinguishing 
characters  and  the  relationships  between  the  different  fruits 
and  vegetables  studied,  and  the  knowledge  of  soils,  drainage, 
and  agricultural  chemistry,  upon  which  practical  discussions  are 
based. 

Without  referring  to  details,  it  may  be  said  that  text-book 
instruction  in  horticulture  is  usually  unsatisfactory.  So 
also,  in  teaching  horticulture  by  means  of  lectures,  some- 
thing more  than  mere  talking  is  required  to  maintain  in- 
terest. Actual  demonstration  is  necessary.  It  is  not  a 
question  of  what  results  should  be  obtained  ; how  many  bushels 
of  potatoes  or  onions  or  apples  should  be  grown  on  each  acre  ; 
but  what  are  the  methods  and  why  ? What  are  the  principles 
involved  ? Practical  demonstrations  may  be  conducted  either 
at  the  college  or  at  a commercial  orchard,  garden  or  green- 
house— preferably  at  the  commercial  establishment. 

Laboratory  work  and  collateral  reading  should  be  made  an 
important  feature  of  every  course  in  horticulture,  as  the 
student  retains  more  lasting  impressions  from  the  free,  informal 


14 


discussions  attending  the  demonstrations  than  from  the  most 
carefully  prepared  lectures.  The  laboratory  work  should, 
however,  be  as  thoroughly  systematized  as  the  classroom  in- 
struction and,  as  far  as  possible,  should  follow  the  same  line 
taken  up  in  the  lectures. 

Much  has  been  said  and  written  concerning  the  ideals  of 
education.  The  true  philosophy  of  life  is  to  idealize  everything 
with  which  we  have  to  do.  “Success  lies  not  so  much  in  doing 
unusual  things,  as  in  doing  usual  things  unusually  well.”  ‘If  a 
man’s  work  in  life  has  to  do  with  potatoes  or  apples,  let  him 
know  potatoes  or  apples.  Let  him  analyze  their  structure, 
follow  the  germinating  seed  or  sprouting  tubers  or  bursting 
buds  ; study  the  influence  of  sun  and  rain  and  heat  and  air. 
Let  him  know  the  soil  in  which  his  plants  grow,  whence  it 
came,  of  what  it  is  composed,  how  it  may  be  varied.  Let  him 
understand  the  forces  set  at  work  when  the  plow  is  first  em- 
ployed ; the  chemical  and  physiological  and  biological  changes 
that  occur.  Let  him,  by  the  aid  of  the  microscope,  see  the 
organisms  that  are  helpful  to  him  in  his  work,  and  those  which 
he  is  to  subdue.  Let  him  become  familiar  with  the  friends  and 
foes  among  the  hordes  of  insect  and  bird  and  animal  visitors 
to  his  orchard  and  garden.  Let  him  know  the  relation  which 
his  chosen  plants  bear  to  their  fellows.  Let  him  work  among 
and  study  his  plants,  learning  their  individuality  and  their 
possibilities.  Let  him  till  the  ground  for  the  sake  of  tillage 
and  not  simply  as  a never  ending  struggle  against  the  curse  of 
weeds.  Let  him  do  all  this  and  he  ceases  to  be  simply  the 
-“man  with  the  hoe,”  and  becomes  one  of  Nature’s  yeomen.  He 
learns  to  love  his  work  and  will  use  the  force  of  his  trained  and 
sharpened  faculties  in  the  improvement  of  methods  until  he 
shall  revolutionize  potato  growing  or  apple  raising.’ 

From  what  has  been  said  it  must  not  be  supposed,  however, 
that  the  only  horticultural  instruction  that  may  be  given  is  of 
college  grade,  and  that  a full  college  course  is  essential  for 
every  young  man  if  he  is  to  succeed  in  the  practical  work  of 
fruit  growing  or  gardening.  Within  the  past  few  years  there 
has  been  a wonderful  development  of  agricultural  instruction  in 
all  parts  of  the  country.  The  movement  for  the  establishment 
of  secondary  schools,  and  of  special  courses  suited  to  the  re- 
quirements of  rural  conditions  in  many  high  schools,  is  rapidly 
going  forward,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  Maine  will  push  well 


15 


to  the  front  in  the  forward  movement.  The  college  courses 
should,  however,  be  kept  entirely  distinct  from  the  secondary 
work,  and  should  imply  much  more  thorough  training.  College 
graduates  and  college  instructors  may  be  able  to  give  invaluable 
assistance  in  developing  the  secondary  work,  but  that  work  is 
of  a different,  though  none  the  less  important,  type. 

An  important  mission  of  horticultural  education,  and  this 
need  by  no  means  be  of  college  grade,  is  the  creation  of  a new 
sentiment,  a new  atmosphere,  about  rural  homes  and  rural 
affairs.  Children  from  the  farm  are  often  prejudiced  against 
the  farm  from  their  earliest  period  of  recollection.  They  feel 
instinctively  that  their  lot  is  less  attractive  than  that  of  their 
city  cousins.  As  they  go  to  the  towns  and  villages  to  attend 
high  school,  or  academy,  this  feeling  of  dissatisfaction  is 
increased. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  a smooth  lawn  and  a well  kept  house, 
or  the  contrary,  may  have  quite  as  much  influence  in  deter- 
mining the  future  of  the  boys  and  girls  from  farm  homes  as  the 
amount  of  hay  per  acre  or  the  number  of  cows  in  the  herd.  If 
farm  life  is  made  interesting,  farm  homes  and  surroundings 
made  attractive,  farm  boys  and  girls  will  become  enthusiastic, 
activity  will  be  stimulated  and  profit  will  follow.  This  is  not 
mere  sentiment,  but  a statement  of  fact  which  should  appeal  to 
the  business  sense  of  every  farmer  in  Maine. 

The  mission  of  horticultural  education  then,  especially  in 
New  England,  is,  in  addition  to  college  instruction,  by  means 
of  lectures,  institute  work,  bulletins,  and  correspondence,  to 
stimulate  the  desire  for  better  conditions  in  our  rural  homes  ; 
to  point  out  the  possibilities  before  young  men  and  women  in 
the  direction  of  improved  rural  conditions  and  of  intensive 
culture  of  fruits  and  vegetables  and  flowers  from  a practical 
point  of  view  ; to  welcome  to  a broader  field  and  higher  training 
those  who  would  fit  themselves  for  leaders  in  either  practical 
or  scientific  work  along  horticultural  lines  ; to  solve  by  careful 
experiment  some  of  the  problems  which  confront  gardener, 
fruit  grower,  and  home-maker. 

Inquiries  concerning  any  of  the  horticultural  work  should  be 
addressed  to 

Professor  W.  M.  MUNSON, 

. Orono,  Maine, 

ror  general  information  concerning  the  University,  address 
President  GEORGE  EMORY  FELLOWS, 

. Orono,  Maine. 

A °r  general  information  concerning  the  Experiment  Station, 
address 

Director  CHARLES  D.  WOODS, 
Orono,  Maine. 


3 01 


12  105657230 


The  University  of  Iflaine 

College  of  Agriculture 

Short  Winter  Courses 

agriculture.  Horticulture,  Dairving 


The  usual  courses  for  farmers  who  wish  to  avail  themselves  of  the  ad- 
vantages offered  at  the  University,  will  begin  JANUARY  3,  1905,  and  will 
continue  eight  weeks.  The  greatest  possible  amount  of  information  will  be 
given  in  the  time  allotted. 

The  following  practical  subjects  will  be  discussed  by  practical  men  : 

Plant  and  animal  nutrition ; crops  and  crop  production ; farm  manage- 
ment ; orchard  culture  ; small  fruits  ; spraying  ; insects  and  plant  diseases  ; 
animal  breeding,  feeding  and  diseases;  dairying;  dairy  practice;  soils  and 
fertilizers  ; farm  drainage. 

TUITION  IS  FREE,  and  there  is  practically  no  expense  except  for 
room  and  board.  The  whole  expense  for  the  course  need  not  be  more  than 
forty  dollars. 

Full  information  will  be  furnished  upon  application  to 

) President  GEORGE  E.  FELLOWS, 

Orono,  Maine 


